Accreditation: The Pokémon Cards of the Energy Transition?
- Derek Stenclik
- Jun 10
- 2 min read
Lessons learned from the NERC Evaluating Resource Contributions for Reliability and Capacity Supply Workshop
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the NERC's Evaluating Resource Contributions for Reliability and Capacity Supply Workshop in Washington, DC.
I opened my presentation with a somewhat unconventional analogy: accreditation is like the Pokémon card of the energy transition. My kids eagerly trade Pokémon cards on the school bus, despite never having watched the show or played the actual game. What makes the cards so easily tradable? The classification and score in the top-right corner.
In the energy world, capacity accreditation, like ELCC, serves a remarkably similar function. It enables us to “trade” different resources in pursuit of efficient reliability.
Want to retire a coal plant? Accreditation informs how much wind, solar, or battery capacity is needed in its place.
Considering interregional transmission? Accreditation helps quantify its value relative to natural gas.
What about data center flexibility? Accreditation can inform how many generation resources can be deferred.
Here are my top three takeaways from the workshop discussions:
Fundamental modeling matters
Resource adequacy modeling is the foundation. If it is not robust, accurate accreditation is not possible.
Consistency across all resource types
If we apply ELCC or other methods to one type of resource, we must apply them across all resources with the same rigor and transparency.
Marginal > average accreditation
The industry consensus is shifting. Marginal accreditation better reflects system value and supports smarter planning decisions.
The progress since we authored the ESIG report Ensuring Efficient Reliability: New Design Principles for Capacity Accreditation two years ago is impressive. At that time, none of these points had clear consensus. While significant strides have been made, the next challenge lies in harmonizing approaches across both resource types and regional boundaries, and making these rules stable for investment.
Check out the presentation!
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